By David Lohr
April 23, 2007
ROCKDALE TOWNSHIP, PA (Crime Library) — On Friday, Crime Library brought you the story of Edward Gingerich, 40, and the alleged kidnapping of his teenage daughter from his former Amish community. Yesterday, police located Gingerich and his daughter in a nearby county. Mary was brought back to her family, and Gingerich was arrested on a variety of charges. Since his arrest, new details have emerged, giving us a clearer picture of what happened last Wednesday.
Initial reports suggested that Gingerich had hijacked a buggy his daughter Mary, 17, was riding in with her aunt, Clara Gingerich. According to a police affidavit, Gingerich's brother Dan was the one who took over the reigns and navigated the buggy to Gingerich's brother Atlee's house. Once there, Ed Gingerich, his son Eno, and his brothers, Joseph, 43, and Atlee, 44, locked Clara inside the barn and coerced Mary to go with them to an undisclosed location. The men allegedly told Mary she had to cooperate or they would call the police and she would be forced to go with them. She reluctantly agreed, perhaps more out of fear than cooperation, and left with her father in a black sedan.
 |
| Atlee Gingerich |
On Thursday, Judge John Spataro granted Mary's grandparents, Dannie and Mary Gingerich, temporary custody of Mary. The court order said that Gingerich was to turn over his daughter over to them immediately and that he was to have no further contact with her until the matter was resolved in a court of law.
The following day, the Pennsylvania State Police arrested Joseph and Atlee on charges of criminal conspiracy. Both men were arraigned before Crawford County District Judge Amy Nichols and placed in the Crawford County Jail in lieu of a $30,000 bond.
The case finally came to a head yesterday when troopers from the Pennsylvania State Police barracks in Kane received information that Gingerich and his daughter were in McKean County, about two hours from the Crawford County Amish community that Gingerich had taken her from.
Like his brothers before him, Gingerich was arraigned before District Magisterial Judge Nichols. He was charged with criminal conspiracy to commit concealment of the whereabouts of a child, concealment of the whereabouts of a child, and interfering with the custody a child.
During his arraignment, Gingerich argued that he was still Mary's legal guardian. When Judge Nicols told him that her grandparents had been granted a custody order, Gingerich asked, "Can they do that without me being aware of it?" Judge Nicols told Gingerich the matter would be handled at his preliminary hearing. Following his arraignment, Gingerich was remanded to the Crawford County Jail in lieu of a $100,000 bond.
Next Page
For More Daily Crime News
default
increase
decrease
email
print